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A Fall Fridge Makeover and Giveaway! (CLOSED)

November 14, 2010 By 8 Comments

I am a mess.  I do not keep house like I should, I don’t eat like I should and I certainly don’t exercise like I should.  All these combined makes for a chaotic life.

I try.  Really I do.  But three obnoxious boys running around leaving a wake of mess behind them makes me discouraged and exhausted.  Now the holidays are coming.  This means a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner and a big family Christmas party are just around the corner.  I need to get my act together!

Lucky for me, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter® is here to help.

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter is out to help people like me get on the right track before the holidays.  They want to show people how easy it is to get your refrigerator in order and stocked with healthier food choices.  This way, when you need something, you can be sure to Reach Right and grab healthy and fresh foods.

I started my holiday Reach Right mission by first cleaning out my refrigerator.  Oh man!  What I found was amusing and frightful!

My fridge was an embarrassing mess!  You can see by the “before” pictures above (click if you are brave enough to see it enlarged), that I had multiple half-empty and expired bottles of bar-b-que sauce, mustard and ketchup!  WTH?  I had no idea I had so many bottles hiding in the depths of my fridge.  I found a mystery meat (?) wrapped up in foil and very sticky shelves.  I also found bottles with a 2008 expiration date!   No wonder, despite having “no” groceries, I never had any room in my fridge to put stuff.

Well, the nice people at I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter have gotten me all fixed up!

I received all the supplies necessary to get my fridge ready for the holiday’s as well as tips to make keeping my fridge clean in the future.

How to Clean a Refrigerator

You may think that cleaning your fridge is a pretty easy, no-brainer task.  But the link above has all kinds of tips that I didn’t know.  Tips like:

  • Turn down the temperature in your fridge.  You will have the door open for a while and you want it to stay cold.
  • Use a mild dish detergent to clean the shelves.  You wouldn’t want to use bleach or harsh chemicals near your food now would you?
  • Rinse with a vinegar/water solution.  Anyone who cleans with vinegar knows how fabulous it is at killing odors and making things sparkle.
  • Throw out anything that is expired or nearly empty.  There really is no need to have 6 half used bottles of ketchup…no matter how much you like ketchup!
  • Put a fresh box of baking soda in the back to absorb any future odors.
  • Use laminated labels on your tupperware’s to mark the contents and dates of your leftovers.  I love these erasable labels from the Container Store.

Once your refrigerator is sparkling clean, head to the store and buy some items to restock it.  It’s so much more motivating to buy healthier items when I know it’s going into a pretty and clean fridge!

This is a great list of kid friendly items to keep stocked in your refrigerator.

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter wants to encourage you to add their products to your new healthier fridge, too.  With 70% less saturated fat than butter, NO cholesterol and NO hydrogenated oils, it’s a great way to keep a healthier butter option available to your family.  I get to give away FIVE coupons for a free I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter product (Note:  the coupon I received for my “free” butter had a max value of $2.99, but my store charged about $3.50 for a tub.  So depending on your store, it might not be completely free…but very cheap).

Because I’m lazy this weekend, I will give coupons to the FIRST FIVE COMMENTORS who tell me their secret for keeping a healthy refrigerator.  Super easy!

CONTEST IS CLOSED.  FIRST FIVE COMMENTS HAVE BEEN EMAILED!  CONGRATULATIONS!

Be sure to leave a valid email address so I can contact you and get your mailing address.  Contest open to residents of the US only.  One entry per household.

FTC Disclosure:  I received coupons for (nearly) free I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter products, and supplies for cleaning and re-stocking my refrigerator (including plastic containers, labels, baking soda, dishsoap and $50 giftcard),  opinions expressed on my blog are always my own!

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Ghirardelli LUXE Milk Chocolate GIVEAWAY (CLOSED)

October 22, 2010 By

Do I really need to say more than “chocolate” and “giveaway” in the same title to get your attention?

I didn’t think so.

But I do know of something that can make that sweet sound of chocolate ever better…Ghirardelli!  And if you are a milk chocolate fan, than this is the chocolate for you.

In 2009 (which makes me wonder how I went an entire year with out know about this) Ghirardelli introduced LUXE Milk Chocolate.  There are four flavors to tempt your sweet tooth, LUXE Milk, Almond, Hazelnut and Toffee.

•    LUXE MILK Almond – Toasted almonds contribute a clean, crisp taste to complement and enhance the flavors of the creamy-sweet milk chocolate base.
•    LUXE MILK Hazelnut – Lavished throughout this bar, all-natural deep-roasted hazelnuts add crunch and a distinctive, sophisticated flavor.
•    LUXE MILK – This bar delivers the ultimate premium milk chocolate experience – pure, all-natural milk chocolate with a velvety texture that melts smoothly in your mouth.
•    LUXE MILK Toffee – This all natural, rich and creamy milk chocolate made from the finest cocoa beans is perfectly matched with buttery, crunchy toffee bits.

I received four coupons in the mail so that I could try all four flavors and tell you about them.  I was so very disappointed when I got to my local Alberstons to find that they only carried the Almond and Hazelnut varieties.  Neither of these would be my first choice.  I am not typically a “nut in my chocolate” kinda gal.  But I figured since it was Ghirardelli Chocolate and I would sacrifice myself to the nut in the name of science…or product review.

I can tell you that even this non-nut girl loved these LUXE Milk Chocolates!  I scarfed two bags of chocolate *blush* in as many days.  I did find it in my heart to share a couple pieces with my mom and boys, but I’m ashamed to say that I ate most of them on my own (sorry, Bob.  I know I told you I shared, but I didn’t).

I loved and ate my chocolate so fast that I forgot to take a picture, and I love that it’s made with 100% natural ingredients!

Now, in celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, beginning October1st and continuing through the end of December, chocolate lovers can purchase the specially marked LUXE MILK chocolates and receive a special code in the package.  Just enter this unique code at www.ghirardelli.com/LuxeMilk and LUXE MILK will donate $1 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  As an added bonus, LUXE MILK will provide consumers with hundreds of instant prizes in this “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” instant win promotion, including Cole Haan gift cards

This is a great way to get your chocolate fix and support a cause that is near and dear to a lot of our hearts.

You can buy your own scrumptious LUXE Milk Chocolates at local grocery stores and retail chains like CVS, Rite Aid and Wal Mart.  But before you run out and buy a bag (or four) enter to win some here!

Ghirardelli is letting me give one person two (2) coupons for two FREE bag’s or bar’s of Ghirardelli LUXE Milk Chocolate.  In addition, you’ll get two (2) more $1.00 off coupons.  YAY Chcocolate!

Mandatory First Entry

Visit Ghirardelli and then leave me a comment telling me what your favorite Ghirardelli Chocolate variety might be.

Here you can find my list of Extra Contest Entries so you can have more chances to win!

This contest is open to residents of the US only aged 18 and older.  Giveaway will end at 10pm PST on November 5, 2010.  Winner will be notified by email and have 72 hours to respond and claim their prize.  I was provided coupons to try some free bags of chocolate, all the opinions are always my own!

Filed Under: Giveaways, Product Reviews Tagged With: , ,
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Sam’s Club Wants to Know: What’s Your Funniest Holiday Tradition?

October 18, 2010 By 5 Comments

Every year at Thanksgiving, my mom buys a giant turkey.  I mean a giant, must have been exposed to radiation, 30 POUND turkey.  Talk about artificial hormones!  Anyhow, one time several years ago, she held this enormous turkey up by it’s wings and started spanking it.  I don’t even know why she did this.  But it was they funniest thing I’d ever seen.  Maybe I was drunk?  It’s quite possible.  But we both burst out laughing and took turns spanking the turkey.

I’m sure we must have both been drunk!

And so now, every year since as long as I can remember, we spank the turkey at Thanksgiving.

I sure wish I had it on video!  Instead, I have to settle for a poor graphical rendition and my memory.

I only tell you this because now Sam’s Club wants to know what your family’s FUNNIEST, CRAZIEST, WACKIEST, and FAVORITE holiday tradition is!  This is your chance to show off your funky family and spank that turkey for the world!  All entries have the chance to be featured on the Sam’s Club holiday website!

That’s right people.  Sam’s Club is looking for video submissions of your funny and wacky holiday traditions (holidays as in whatever holiday you celebrate in the winter:  Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, etc etc)  They want to feature real stories and real videos on their holiday website that will be launching real soon.

Is video not really your thing?  Then feel free to submit a short written essay (200 words or less) describing your wacky relatives…err…I mean TRADITIONS.

Here are some technical details:

  • Each entry MUST address “Holiday Traditions and/or Holiday Stories”
  • File format for uploaded video must only be .MP4 or .WMV
  • Each entry must be in English
  • Video must be no more than 3 minutes in length
  • Essay entries must be no more than 200 words long
  • Each contest entrant MUST provide name, address, phone number and email address
  • NO sexually explicit, disparaging, libelous or other inappropriate content or nudity
  • NO dangerous acts
  • NO copyrighted or trademarked property of Sam’s Club competitors or entities

Prizes!

GRAND PRIZE VIDEO WINNER will receive a 26″ Magnavox LCD 720p HDTV (estimated value of $279.87)

GRAND PRIZE ESSAY WINNER will receive a Nikon Coolpix S3000 12MP Digital Camera (estimated value of $119.88)

How To Enter your VIDEO


CLICK HERE to upload your .MP4 or .WMV  file to the Sam’s Club file share account.

See below for instructions how to fill it out:

How to Enter your Essay

Email your submission to holidaytraditions@rockfishinteractive.com.  In the body of your email, please include your Name, Address, Email and Phone number.  Entries without full contact information will be DISQUALIFIED.

I hate to keep saying “Disqualified” but I do not want that to happen to you, so please pay attention to the rules!

Terms & Conditions

Submission’s close on October 22, 2010 at 11:50pm EST.  Contest open to US residents age 18 and over.  Each entry will be judged by a qualified judge or panel appointed by Sam’s Club who’s decisions will be based upon the following criteria:  Humor (50%), Innovation & Creativity (25%) and Originality (25%).   Please read the full Terms & Conditions here.

I can’t wait to see the entries!  GOOD LUCK!

Hey, while you are here, have you entered your best Halloween Costume?  You could win a Wii bundle in that one!  GO!

FTC Disclosure:  I was provided monetary compensation for my participation in this Holiday Traditions campaign.  All opinions are always my own.

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Celebrate Halloween With Sam’s Club!

October 12, 2010 By 34 Comments

I love Halloween!  It’s such a fun holiday, completely pointless and full of candy.  Adults get to have just as much fun as the kids since there is nothing to “believe” in and no age limit on dressing up.

This year, Sam’s Club wants to help you with your Halloween celebrating.

Sam’s has a website dedicated to all your Fall entertaining needs.  Everything from Oktoberfest to Halloween, and stuff in between.

Halloween Decorations

Omgosh, look at these adorable ceramic candy bowls!  I want need the pumpkin.  So cute!  Sam’s has great deals on filling the bowls with candy, too as well as other spooky decorations and costumes.

Halloween Food Ideas

The Fall Harvest website has super spooky Halloween food recipes, too.  Check out these little ghostly pizza’s made with English muffins and mozzarella cut out like ghosts?  Isn’t that clever?  I’m totally making these for my boys.

And check out these Jiggly Jack O’Lanterns, too.  I mean, what other holiday has such creative and fun food options?  These are made with oranges and Jello.  I wish I was so creative to think of this stuff on my own.  But I’m not, so I’m happy that Sam’s Club has a holiday website to tell me how to do these fun things.

All my boys love Halloween, but Anthony LOVES Halloween.  He’s a big prankster and he just loves all the spooky decorations and opportunities to “scare” people.  I’m going to be in trouble with this one!

Creative Halloween Costumes

Halloween would not be Halloween without costumes.  And I really miss the days when people made their own costumes with old junk out of their closets.  Today every child is wearing some commercialized piece of polyester costume that they buy in the store.  And these are so expensive!  It’s a lot more fun, and usually cheaper to make your own costumes.  Too bad my boys didn’t get the memo…they want to be Toad, Yoshi and Darth Maul, all because a catalog came in the mail and now their hearts are set.  *sigh*

But a few short years ago, before they developed their own opinion, we made their costumes. And it was my favorite Halloween with the boys I’ve ever had!

The Nathan and Gabriel were home made ghosts (white clothes and lots of tulle) and Anthony was a robot.  I even wrote about the process for making the robot costume.  It was such a fun Halloween and we got so many compliments on their creative costumes.  I was a proud momma.

Costume Contest!

Sam’s Club want’s to celebrate FUN and CREATIVE costumes by having a Costume Contest and you can win a Wii!

Dig out a picture of your favorite, most fun and most creative costume.  It can be one you, your child, or your spouse, past or present costumes.

On October 20th, I will choose my THREE favorite submissions to send on to Sam’s Club (finalists).  All of the Sam’s Club Community Bloggers are hosting the contest on their sites.  Each of us (10 bloggers) will send in our three favorites. Sam’s Club will then choose ONE Grand Prize winner from the blogger submissions to receive a very cool Wii Prize Bundle (including Wii System, Wii Fit Plus, Balance Board and Controller) Valued at $294.81.

Using the form below, upload your Halloween Costume photo.  Important:  Be sure to name it so I know who’s picture belongs to who! THEN, you MUST leave a comment telling me which picture is yours so I can contact you if you are chosen as a finalist! If you don’t leave a comment, I can’t contact you and you will be disqualified.  I don’t want you to put your email on the picture submission because then it will be public…unless you don’t care about those things.

I will choose my three favorites on October 20th.  Grand Prize winner will be announced by Sam’s Club on October 31st.

Terms and Conditions:

The Sam’s Club Halloween Photo Contest starts at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (“EST”) on October 12, 2010 and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on October 21, 2010 (“Contest Period”). Participants can enter the Contest by submitting a “Halloween costume photo” and completing the Contest registration form at only one (1) of the ten Contest blog sites.

Be sure to check out the full Terms and Conditions here

*Please note that new images must be approved by me before they appear publicly.  Please contact me if it’s been 24 hours and you don’t see your picture posted.  Thanks!

*Please be mindful of your image size.  Images larger than 1000 pixles wide will be rejected.

FTC Disclosure:  I was provided monetary compensation for my participation in this holiday campaign.  The opinions expressed are always 100% my own.

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Nominate a Teacher to WIN $100 at Office Max (CLOSED)

September 20, 2010 By

I am SO very excited to have been asked by Office Max to participate in the National A Day Made Better event.

What is “A Day Made Better?”

“A Day Made Better” is a national cause event founded by OfficeMax and nonprofit organization, Adopt-A-Classroom, to lead the fight to end teacher-funded classrooms. Annually in October, more than 3,500 OfficeMax associates surprise and honor more than 1,000 teachers at 1,000 schools across the country with $1,000 worth of classroom supplies. Nominated by their school, teacher recipients receive this honor for their exceptional contributions as an educator. The name, “A Day Made Better,” is derived from the concept that OfficeMax and Adopt-A-Classroom can make at least one day better for teachers by providing them with essential classroom supplies. Through 1,000 simultaneous events, OfficeMax seeks to call attention to the issue of teacher out-of-pocket spending and motivate the public to take action by supporting local educators through Adopt-A-Classroom. “A Day Made Better” was first conducted in October 2007 and has since contributed to the funding of more than 10,000 classrooms.

Teachers are amazing.  I really don’t know how they can do what they do, day in and day out.  They do it all with such grace and determination, and they do it with increasing budget cuts.

This year, I chose to homeschool Anthony.  This was not because of any shortfalls from his school.  It was because of his ADHD and his need for a one on one education.  Something his wonderful teacher could not possibly provide in her class of 25 kindergartners.

I remember, though, last year taking Anthony to school.  I remember the long list of supplies that their classroom desperately needed.  Things like paper, pencils, markers, crayons, colored pencils, dixie cups, napkins and antibacterial wipes.  These weren’t crazy “only in Mrs. Romero’s class” type supplies.  These were regular school supplies that all children need to do basic school work.  Things that were not/are not in today’s school budget.  Things that are purchased by the teachers if and when parents can’t help donate.

I think that’s just wild!

School’s can not afford to provide pencils and paper anymore.  End of story.

It’s sad.

So now, more and more teachers are having to purchase their own supplies.  A National Teaching Realities Survey found that on average teachers will spend $693.00 of their own money on school supplies! Teachers said over and over again that they would rather pay for the supplies than let their students go without.

Very sad, indeed.

Now Office Max is on a mission to help teachers focus on teaching, and not have to worry about where their pencils are going to come from.

October 5th is National A Day Made Better and Office Max will be surprising 1000 teachers across the Nation with approximately $1000.00 in school supplies!  That’s over one million dollars worth of digital cameras, printers, paper, pencils and more to benefit hard working, dedicated and passionate teachers.

You can join in this cause by nominating a deserving teacher (aren’t they all deserving?) to receive a $100 Office Max giftcard on behalf of Max Moms and A Day Made Better right here on my blog.  YAY!

Entry Requirements:

Leave me a comment below nominating a deserving teacher.  Describe to me what makes this teacher passionate, dedicated and innovative. Are you a teacher?  Feel free to nominate yourself!

To help spread the word, you can have an extra entry for your teacher if you tweet the following (one extra entry per tweet, unlimited tweeting):

Nominate your favorite teacher to win $100 in  supplies from @adaymadebetter and @mommy23monkeys http://bit.ly/ddJHUV

Nominations end on October 4th at 10pm PST.  Winner will be announced on National A Day Made Better, October 5th.

No purchase necessary to win.  Winner will be selected at random from all valid nominations.  The gift card is provided by Office Max for teachers.  The views and opinions are always my own.

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